Books like 'The Institution'
Readers who enjoyed The Institution by Leslie Luckie also liked the following books featuring the same tropes, story themes, relationship dynamics and character types.
dark romance from hate to love suspense forced proximity
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The Elite Kings Boxset Vol. II by Amo Jones
Rated: 4.74 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe Elite Kings books 1-5MADSHIPMadison + BishopThe Silver SwanThe Broken PuppetTacet a MortuisNATILNate + TillieMalum: Part 1Malum: Part 2Riddle me this.. -
Edge of Nowhere by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.73 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsOpen roads and honor meets poke bowls and self-controlI’m a homesick nomad.A protégé, a mountain man, an ally, and a seeker.My name is Wapi.I’m a work in progress looking to belong, and though my road has been a winding one, my heart has found focus.I’m a straightlaced hellcat.A princess, a fool, a target, and a handle.My name is Lindsey...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love mafia cowboys mystery dark friends-benefits -
Drew by Siobhan Davis
Rated: 4.65 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsThe explosive finale in the highly addictive Rydeville Elite series. Mistakes and secrets. My life is littered with them. And it’s not always me who pays the price. So, I do something I swore I wouldn’t do—become the monster my father raised me to be. To shield my loved ones from the predators I hunt, I keep family and friends in the dark, but I won’t apologize for protecting them... -
Sinner by Sheridan Anne
Death surrounds me.Every step I take, there’s someone waiting for me in the shadows.There’s nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, and now, I’m out here on my own, my hands stained with the blood of those I’ve killed to survive.Zade DeVil was my executioner, my most feared enemy, but he was also my protector. I wasn’t willing to cross that line with him, despite how much I may have wanted to...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity new adult cruel hero contemporary dark length-medium -
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Unholy Bonds by Maya Raine
Rated: 4.51 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsThree serial killers connected by an unholy thread, tangled in a twisted chase for revenge and blood. In this game of hunters, who will become the ultimate prey?***He is every sin she wants to commit. Yara West spends her day as a Medical Examiner. At nights, she dons the mask of a twisted killer to satiate the demons in her head... -
Special Kind of Twisted by Lani Lynn Vale
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsHe had a way of pulling everyone into his darkness. Then, to make matters worse, he convinced you that you liked it there. Kyle Davis—ex professional baseball player and current felon—loved Sara, his best friend. Strictly platonically, of course. He’d do absolutely anything for her, even put up with Greer, Sara’s other best friend. What she was not was Kyle’s best friend...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity bikers military humor contemporary athletes -
Home Town Knight by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.58 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsHe's a cowboy with a sheriff's badge. And the last man she wants as a Protector.Investigative reporter Genevieve Blake rolls into Hartley County, Colorado on a mission. She's determined to expose the Last Refuge Protectors as vigilantes and the local sheriff as corrupt. The last thing she needs is a distraction—especially in the form of a handsome stranger at the hotel bar... -
The Nomad by Amelia Shea
Rated: 4.60 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsBroke and bitter, Karia Mitchell is just done. So damn tired of it all. After spending a decade in a loveless and toxic marriage, she’s finally breaking free and rebuilding her life. The prospect of starting over at forty-one is gut wrenching, but she’s willing to do whatever it takes as long as she’s rid of her ex... -
City Of Thieves by Cora Kenborn, Catherine Wiltcher
From Cora Kenborn and Catherine Wiltcher comes a new mafia romance where love is the most dangerous crime of all... This city tells a story of a man seeking vengeance… Renzo Marchesi gives me two choices when he walks into my art gallery: Help him find his brother’s killer or suffer the consequences. He’s a mafia prince… Heir to the Marchesi throne. A man consumed by his demons.Beautiful... -
Vicious Hate by Thandiwe Mpofu
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsDevastation tastes a lot like ash in your mouth. It feels like looming death hanging over your bones. It sounds like the violent shattering of your soul. It has an acrid smell much like that of rotting hearts. . . But most of all, devastation looks a lot like the beautiful, fiery girl with her fake sincerity and lies... -
Road To Fire by Maria Luis
"I'm not scared of you."I meet her gaze. "You should be."Bound by a secret oath spanning generations, I am loyal to no one but the queen.Spy.Defender of the Crown.To all of England, I'm Saxon Priest. Traitor. Murderer. Owner of London’s most infamous anti-loyalist pub.And then she appears. Isla Quinn may claim that she’s only looking to bus tables, but I’m no fool...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love contemporary dark royalty length-long dystopian explicit-open-door -
The Savage by Stella Andrews
Rated: 4.46 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsIvan may be my name but I am best known as The Savage.Born and bred Bratva heir and loving every delicious minute of my life. That's why it was easy to kidnap the entitled Charlotte Richmond from her finishing school in England. It was my pleasure to hide her away while her depraved father searched for her.I have no heart, no emotion, and no morals.She is a bargaining chip, a means to an end...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity suspense mafia contemporary dark alpha male age difference -
A Fractured Reign by Veronica Eden
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 12 ratingsThe Crows are more than nightmares lurking in every shadow.They’re a brotherhood. Family. When threats creep in, they’ll protect what belongs to them.QuinnDoes a wrong make a right?In my case, it has to.The Kings gave me no choice, no chance to fold.I betrayed the guy who believed he was protecting me while I gave his secrets away.Now we’re enemies once more...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity new adult mafia cruel hero bad boys college -
Savage by Stoni Alexander
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsREVENGE SERVED HARDMy friends call me Jericho. My enemies know me as Reaper. Ain’t nothin’ more important than family. So, when my baby bro is gunned down in front of me, I go on the hunt to settle the score. Fury drives me forward. Sleep becomes my enemy. I’m out for blood.I work alone. No spotter. No backup. I get you in my sniperscope, you’re already dead... -
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Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsNothing lasts forever… except the Bellanti’s hatred for the Bruno family.My family prepared me to fight.My best friend taught me loyalty.My husband showed me who I am.And now I’m caught between them all.The thing about secrets is that they always come out.The past is never gone.No one expected it to explode.I finally understand why my life led me here... -
Pearl by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.75 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsa privately-funded organization operating independently in the search for-and the rescue and recovery of-missing and exploited children. Although at times working in conjunction with law enforcement, GEM aims to ensure the victims receive justice...by whatever means necessary.____Operator Pearl; layered, mysterious, a protector. She masks as delicate, analyzes, and moves stealthily...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity abuse dark multicultural contemporary mystery -
Opal by Freya Barker
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsGEM: A PRIVATELY-FUNDED ORGANIZATION OPERATING INDEPENDENTLY IN THE SEARCH FOR—AND THE RESCUE AND RECOVERY OF—MISSING AND EXPLOITED CHILDREN. ALTHOUGH, AT TIMES WORKING IN CONJUNCTION WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT, GEM AIMS TO ENSURE THE VICTIMS RECEIVE JUSTICE…BY WHATEVER MEANS NECESSARY. ____GEM Operator Opal; multifaceted, versatile, a chameleon.She hides in plain sight, adapts, and infiltrates...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity single-father dark mature couple mystery contemporary length-medium -
Wicked Secrets by K.B. Winters
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCharlie Ellison found me broken, beaten and bruised. Another biker in a long line of bikers in my life. Except he’s not like the others,And he has me questioning everything. He’s tough, strong and hotter than hell. Could he be my knight on a chrome stallion?Or the devil in a leather kutte?All I know is, he’s different. He makes me feel things I never thought possible... -
Corrupt Gods Collection by Cora Kenborn, Catherine Wiltcher
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsA thrilling arranged marriage mafia romance collection where every choice has a consequence…A Santiago is a lesson in ruin.A Carrera bleeds for revenge.Thalia Santiago is the daughter of my enemy.A beautiful rebel with a single cause.Impulsive.Fearless.And ripe for her father's undoing.I recognized her the moment she stepped into my casino... -
Declan by Cala Riley
NikitaIsolation is nothing new to me.I’ve spent my entire life keeping my head down and mouth shut.Until I meet him.Declan O’Brien.Something about him has me running my mouth before my mind can catch up.When I’m given an ultimatum to die or return to Russia and my father, I choose death.Only Declan won’t allow it... -
Beautiful Prey by Lora Darc
Emery Blakmor is a monster.One night. One savage act. And he ripped my life away.Years later, I’m still running from him in my nightmares.Except, Emery’s not lurking in the shadows anymore. He’s locked away, staring at the same four walls. Silent. Lethal. Unpredictable.And the only person he wants to talk to... is me.I swore I’d never forget what he did. I vowed to make him pay...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity suspense dark strong heroine death primal-play vengeance -
Torian by Eden Summers
Rated: 4.40 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsFrom International bestselling author, Eden Summers, comes a seductive forbidden romance destined to leave you breathless. I fell for the enemy.A man whose actions resemble the devil so closely it frightens me.We were meant to hate each other.To despise and detest.But his appeal is so much greater than the playboy smile and body built for sin.What I'm doing is wrong.What I'm feeling is immoral... -
Protective Phlox by Brooklyn Cross
Rated: 4.54 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsI‘d let her walk out of my life once before, but this time, she wasn’t getting away. Savannah Freeborn was mine. I was a mafia boss’s son and she was an FBI agent, so I should’ve kept my distance. But, I didn’t. The moment I touched her I knew that my fate was sealed. We were never meant to be and as hard as I tried to get Savannah out of my blood, I couldn’t do it...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense dark mafia vengeance arranged marriage super rich hero length-medium -
Illicit Captor by Maggie Cole
Rated: 4.37 of 5 stars · 15 ratingsHe kidnapped me to avenge my husband. The husband I’ve never loved. The cruel man my father forced me to marry to teach me a lesson. My husband didn’t think twice about how to carry out those lessons. Now, I’ve gone from one prison to another. My captor is just as ruthless as my husband. He’ll kill, torture, and do everything to hurt my family until no one is left. Except for me...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love mafia dark alpha male contemporary vengeance -
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Hear No Evil by Ivy Fox
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 17 ratingsEvil cannot take hold of an unconsenting soul.Do not be amazed that hell is empty, since all the devils live here.One by one, they will meet their hellish fate.One down…Three to go.EastonA tyrannous society has discovered our most atrocious secret and decided to wage war on us.They’ve had their fun with Finn, and now it’s my turn to be their little puppet...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love new adult dark mystery college contemporary length-medium -
The Six Night Truce by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 21 ratingsWhen I stepped into the courtroom this morning, I intended to fight for my client’s life. I never expected to run for my own. Now the courthouse is in lockdown, and I’m trapped in a tiny room with my nemesis—the West Oaks PD cop who hates me most. He’s a single dad with a growly attitude. An ex-Marine. And he’s the star witness against my client...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love contemporary humor dark alpha male military length-medium -
The Society by Erin Mc Luckie Moya
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 6 ratingsWhat happens when you're born into a secret society? When your great-grandfather was a founding member? Do you have a choice whether you stay or not?And the benefits that befall you with such a position? The easy college access and high powered positions - the multinational firms... -
Summer Sparrow: by Emmerson Hoyt
Rated: 4.57 of 5 stars · 7 ratingsRylee Adder left Eden thinking she’d put the worst day of her life behind her.She was wrong.Separated from her new family and Colton—the man she never thought she’d have to live without—Rylee finds herself in Boston facing her biggest challenge yet: surviving the Vipers’ Den...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense dual-pov contemporary new adult dark small town length-epic -
Watch Her Bleed by Emily Klepp, Jade Katzchen
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsWhat do you do when your blood sugar crashes and you dump a bottle of wine on the most handsome man you’ve ever met? You panic. That’s how it all started... I panicked and felt up this mystery man while he smiled down at me, igniting something inside of my soul that I had never felt before. When he turns out to be my new boss, everything started to unravel one thread at a time... -
Andrei by Nicole Fox
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsShe thinks she owns me. She’s never been more wrong. My second-in-command sold me out.Stabbed me in the back.Betrayed me to our sworn enemies.Now, I’m the prisoner of the Irish mob.Their don wants to beat me down.But his daughter would rather tie me up.Jamie buys me off the auction stage to star in her pet photography project.“The Beast,” she calls me. A fitting title... -
Followed by the Dark by Danah Logan
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe Dark follows everywhere. She used to be The Bulldog; but she lost her bite. He buried the one person he should've protected; now, his life is driven by anger and revenge. Together they're toxic for each other, but neither can deny that something is there. FBTD is an age gap, enemies to lovers dark romance.★ The complete blurb will be revealed with the cover...Categorized as:
from hate to love suspense forced proximity age difference alpha male contemporary angst new adult -
Distracted by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsMarriage of convenience? More like marriage of inconvenience. Especially when it turns deadly.Ellery Cross did what she had to do to save her family from ruin. She married a man she wasn’t in love with. Worse, she married a man she knew nothing about.But Ellery eventually learns all she needs to know about her husband. And sticking around is not an option...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity mystery dark friends to lovers military dual-pov length-short -
Ruined by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHanna Briggs was just as riveted to the news as the rest of the town when a seemingly innocent man was murdered. The difference was that while they all prayed for justice, Hanna felt relief.But then someone else Hanna knows is murdered. And another. And another.Leo Webb is the lead investigator on the case, helping the local police department to find the person responsible for the deaths in town... -
Ruined by A.K. Evans
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHanna Briggs was just as riveted to the news as the rest of the town when a seemingly innocent man was murdered. The difference was that while they all prayed for justice, Hanna felt relief.But then someone else Hanna knows is murdered. And another. And another.Leo Webb is the lead investigator on the case, helping the local police department to find the person responsible for the deaths in town... -
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The Three Week Deal by Hannah Shield
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsHe’s a smoking-hot firefighter with a wild side.And now, my obnoxious new roommate. When my apartment catches fire, I know I’m in for a hell of a day. It only gets worse when I meet my temporary new roommate—the same grouchy firefighter who just yelled at me. Matteo De Luca is a tattooed, loud-mouthed, alpha hunk of a man...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love humor dark multicultural military mystery -
Mine to Shield (Protection) by Kennedy L. Mitchell
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsCan this broken FBI agent and young professor work together to take down a dangerous cult despite their rocky past or will their true identities be exposed, threatening their lives and future together.Going undercover with the FBI to infiltrate a dangerous cult was the last thing I expected during my week off from teaching. But here I am...Categorized as:
forced proximity suspense office dual-pov friends to lovers age difference dark length-medium -
Burning Quarter by Melissa McSherry
Rated: 4.38 of 5 stars · 8 ratings“𝕴 𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔟𝔢 𝔞𝔫 𝔦𝔫𝔣𝔢𝔯𝔫𝔬, 𝔟𝔲𝔱 𝔶𝔬𝔲, 𝔩𝔦𝔩 𝔰𝔭𝔞𝔯𝔨…𝔶𝔬𝔲 𝔦𝔤𝔫𝔦𝔱𝔢𝔡 𝔪𝔢.”Sane people fear fire and the destruction that tends to follow. I, however, never claimed to be such a person. After all, fires destroy everything, leaving nothing behind, and when I saw no other way to escape my fate, it was fire that provided me with one...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love forced proximity dark vengeance self harm exhibitionism length-short -
Come Back To Me by Emily Catlow
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsThe life they've only ever dared to dream about is almost in Madison and Dean's hands.When a new player comes on the scene, Dean must move Rippers MC into new ventures to ensure peace is maintained with their rival club, the Sodom Saviours.Before any business is conducted though, threats are made, and trust between all parties is suddenly fraught... -
Wicked Little Island by Rhea Ryan
Rated: 4.50 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsTrapped in snow, bound by grief, captured by an illusion.In the days following a devastating loss, winter takes hold in the Arctic. I’m stranded with the man who turned my world upside down. His secrets are the reason we fell in love, and our trauma is now what binds us. As we cling to each other to survive, I begin to peel his darkest layers and find he’s exactly what I need to stay alive... -
Angel of Darkness: An Italian Mafia romance by Stephanie Amaral
Rated: 4.63 of 5 stars · 8 ratingsBlood runs thicker than water, mine thicker than most. But my heritage weighs heavily on my sense of self, a misfit in a circle of Men of Honor.A Mafia princess without a crown. A queen without a reign.Great lessons come from ruin, as unraveled truths and shattered illusions break me beyond repair.But from ruin came bold decisions... -
My Darling Mayhem by Ashley Munoz
I crafted a perfectly simple life for myself and my son. It was peaceful and lonely, exactly how I wanted it. Then my new neighbor moved in and ruined everything.Archer Green. Not just a member of a motorcycle club, but the president...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity suspense single-mother found-family dark tortured heroine bikers -
Devil's Escape by Rachel Callahan
Rated: 4.00 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsSix years ago, a single text changed my world irrevocably. The life I never thought possible, the one I hadn’t even dared to dream of, was gone in an instant—snatched away by the monster who would stop at nothing to own me.The Barones always get what they want, though, no matter the cost—and the price of my two best friends, the men I loved, is one I’ll never pay … and he knows that... -
January's Ride with Six by Eve London
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 9 ratingsA rebel's heart and a biker's duty collide in a forbidden love that threatens everything.GingerLiving under the control of the Savage Bones is like existing in a cage where freedom remains just out of reach. The night I run, desperation fueling my steps, I crash into Six. He’s at the core of everything I’ve been told to fear...Categorized as:
from hate to love forced proximity age difference mystery dark bikers contemporary length-novella -
A Single Glance by W. Winters
Rated: 4.30 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsFrom USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a heart-wrenching, edge-of-your-seat gripping, romantic suspense. I saw her from across the bar. My bar. My city. Everything in that world belonged to me. She stood out from the crowd like she was looking for someone to blame for her pain. That night, I felt the depths of my mistakes. I felt my scars... -
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Birdie's Biker (Royal Bastards MC) by Misty Walker
Rated: 4.44 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsVegas is where good people go to sin. Reno is where the bad ones go.Amidst the drugs, weapons, and trafficking, a murder-for-hire market has emerged. And my motorcycle club is right in the thick of it.If you can pay, we have a million different ways to solve your problem... -
Wrathful Souls by Anne Malcom
Rated: 4.34 of 5 stars · 10 ratingsShe survived the deadliest serial killer of her generation.Or so everyone thought.No one knew how many pieces of her he took to the grave with him. She hid her scars, her nightmares. She hid everything until she couldn’t.Then she ran.But Colby followed her.He’d follow her to the ends of the earth. To hell and back. Sariah knew he would…Because Colby had already wrenched her out of hell once... -
Naked Truth by Lisa Renee Jones
Rated: 4.42 of 5 stars · 11 ratingsJax North. He's handsome, brutally so, and wealthy. Our first encounter is intense and sex is my escape. I go with it. I go with him and what a ride it is. And then, I say goodbye. Only you don't say goodbye to a man like Jax if he doesn't want you to. I've challenged him without meaning to. He wants me. I don't want to want him, and yet, I crave him. And he tears me down, my resistance, my walls...Categorized as:
suspense from hate to love contemporary dark mystery super rich hero dual-pov length-epic -
Priest and his Anarchist: A Dark Enemies to Lovers Romance by Amo Jones
Rated: 4.33 of 5 stars · 13 ratingsPeople said he was emotionless. Cold. But he burned her to the ground every chance he got. Priest Hayes thought he knew everything there was to know about the society of outlaws who ran by their own set of rules, and right now, he’d just taken the gavel. It didn’t feel heavy. It felt like it belonged there all along.In his hand.Just like her.But Luna Nox was the one girl he could never have... -
Blurred Red Lines by Cora Kenborn
Rated: 4.04 of 5 stars · 30 ratingsA dark captive-to-lovers mafia romance Obsession is the deadliest vice. Carrera. A word whispered in fear and respect. A name to avoid at all costs. Until I see something I shouldn't and come face-to-face with it.Abducted. Held against my will. A prisoner of a war I know nothing about.But my kidnapping is more than a case of mistaken identity, and my captor is more than a stranger...Categorized as:
suspense forced proximity from hate to love dark contemporary abuse mafia alpha male -
Chained Hands by T L Smith
Rated: 4.28 of 5 stars · 14 ratingsSailorMy husband sold me.Not only did he sell me, but he told me he loved me while doing the deal.What lies he tells.Only fools believe him.Unfortunately, one of those fools was...me.KeirI'm not in the habit of buying women.I didn't need to.I was a king of my realm, the devil you whispered about in your sleep.So, when his debt fell due, he sold me his wife...
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